Richard Thomas Baker


Richard Thomas Baker was an Australian economic botanist, museum curator and educator.

Early life

Baker was born in Woolwich, England, son of Richard Thomas Baker, a blacksmith, and his wife Sarah, née Colkett. The boy was educated at Woolwich National School and Peterborough Training Institution, later gaining science and art certificates from South Kensington Museum.
He was engaged as a senior assistant-master by the School Board for London in 1875 but resigned in July 1879 to emigrate to Australia.

Career in Australia

On 15 January 1888 Baker was appointed assistant curator to Joseph Henry Maiden at the Technological Museum.
Baker published a small book, Building and Ornamental Stones of New South Wales, and, again in collaboration with Henry Smith, another valuable piece of research, A Research on the Pines of Australia.

Later life and legacy

Baker was awarded the Mueller Medal by the Australian and [New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science] in 1921, and the Clarke Medal of the Royal Society of [New South Wales] in 1922. He collected both old and modern china and in 1938 joined the Royal Australian Historical Society. Baker died at Cheltenham, New South Wales on 14 July 1941 and was buried in Rookwood Cemetery.

Selected publications

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